Rhode Island facility is recipient of national association’s Gold Award for dedication to achieving and advancing superior long-term and post-acute care

Middletown, Rhode Island–Grand Islander Center, a 146-bed Genesis HealthCare skilled nursing facility located in Middletown, Rhode Island, today announced that it has been recognized as a 2012 recipient of the Gold – Excellence in Quality National Quality Award presented by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), a trade organization with approximately 11,000 members nationwide.

Grand Islander Centeris one of two 2012 recipients of this distinguished national award, and one of only 13 providers to have ever received an award at this level.

Grand Islander Center provides short stay rehabilitative services, long-term residential services, and services designed to support individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia related diseases.

“This award not only represents Grand Islander Center’s ability to meet the rigors of the program, but also the value the staff, administration, and caregivers place on high-quality care,” said Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. “The lives that have been improved because of this facility’s unbridled commitment to quality are a direct result of achieving this award. I am proud to honor them and celebrate their commitment to quality care.”

“We are so proud to have earned the Gold Quality Award this year,” shares Grand Islander Center Administrator Joan Woods.“Patients and residents are the center of our work and our employeesare our most valuable resource.Achievement of this award comes only through the talents and extraordinary dedication that our entire staff brings to our patients and residents every day of the year.”

Implemented by AHCA/NCAL in 1996, the National Quality Award program is centered on the criteria of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. This progressive program, which encourages the continuous learning and development of long term and post-acute care facilities to achieve performance excellence, has three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. At the Gold level, applicants must successfully address the Health Care Criteria for Performance Excellence, which focus on superior performance in workforce, customer satisfaction, and leadership outcomes, among other criteria.Grand Islander Center previously received the Silver – Achievement in Quality Award and the Bronze - Commitment to Quality Award.

This year, more than 39 Gold applications were received from facilities in 13 different states. The award will be formally presented to Grand Islander Center during AHCA/NCAL’s 63rd Annual Convention and Expo, October 7-10, in Tampa, Florida.

“The quality journey certainly doesn’t end with this award, but the achievements and accomplishments of Grand Islander Center are worthy of recognition,” stated John “Chick” Stepahin, Chair, AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Board of Overseers. “The Gold award designation recognizes Grand Islander Center as one of the very best skilled nursing providers in the nation.”

The awards are sponsored by My InnerView, a Web-based applied research and quality-management company that supports leaders across the entire assisted living, senior housing and skilled nursing profession with tools to measure, benchmark and improve performance.

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Genesis HealthCare is dedicated to improving the lives we touch through the delivery of high-quality healthcare and everyday compassion.

About Genesis HealthCare LLC

Genesis HealthCare LLC is one of the nation’s largest long term care providers with over 200 skilled nursing centers and assisted living residences in 13 eastern states.Genesis also supplies rehabilitation therapy to over 1,100 healthcare providers in 35 states and the District of Columbia.Visit our website at www.genesishcc.com.

About Genesis Genesis offers a variety of services in more than 500 centers across 34 states. In addition to our ShortStay and LongTerm care services, we offer Specialized Alzheimer's care, orthopedic rehabilitation, ventilator care, dialysis care and Assisted/Senior Living services in a variety of centers near you!